USA > California > Nevada County > History of Nevada County, California; with illustrations descriptive of its scenery, residences, public buildings, fine blocks, and manufactories > Part 17
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material than those that had been destroyed. The merchants procured new stocks of goods, and either at the old stands or in better locations were soon ready to supply the increased demand. McConn & Co. erected a three story brick hotel, extending thirty-two feet on Broad street and one hundred on Pine. A new hotel, the Monumental, was opened by S. W. Grush, in December, 1856, at the foot of Main street,
An Act passed the Legislature, approved, April 19, 1856, incorporating Nevada City, which was endowed with sufficient vitality to serve the purpose for which it was intended. The city embraced one square mile, the center being the junction of Broad and Pine streets. The expenses of the first six months of this new government were exceedingly large, owing to the damage wrought by the fire, and it looked as if this was also to be a bankrupt government, but by economy the debt was soon extinguished. From July 1, to December 31, 1856 the receipts and expenditures were as follows :-
For building bridges $2,878.05
For Police.
For sundries 1,129.18
Total Expenditures. . $5,787.52
Receipts.
1,145.00
At the fall election of 1856, Nevada City cast 2,081 votes, a greater number being cast only by San Francisco and Sacra- mento.
In June, 1856, Amos T: Laird & Co., the most extensive gravel miners of Nevada City, entered upon the construction of a dam six miles above the city for the purpose of making a reservoir. The contract was let to Moore & Foss who had nearly completed the work, when the winter rains so filled the reservoir that the dam began to indicate symptoms of giving way. The contractors sent word to Mr. Laird, but as he had not accepted it he declined to exercise any anthority that would render him liable in case of accident. The dam was forty feet high and the water was thirty feet deep and backed up over an area of 200 acres. An attempt was made on Saturday, Febru- ary 14, 1857, to draw the water gradually off, but between four and five o'clock on Sunday morning the water burst out and eaine foaming and roaring down Deer creek in an irresistable wave fifteen feet above high water mark. Main and Broad street bridges were washed away and even Pine street bridge, high above the stream, was so badly injured as to be rendered impassable for some time. Boswell & Hanson's store. Ely's feed store, Wait's blacksmith shop, half of the Monumental Hotel. a few miners' cabins and the Gold Tunnel Quartz Mill went sail- ing down on the crest of the wave. Great injury was inflicted upon mining claims along the stream. Boswell and Hanson were sleeping in their store, when the roar of the approaching flood aronsed them. They rushed into the street in their night
1,780.29
Attorneys at Law 15
$92,000
PUBLISHED BY THOMPSON & WYEST.
RESIDENCE OF JOHN C. COLEMAN, CRASS VALLEY, NEVADA C9 CAL.
83
HISTORY OF NEVADA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
clothes just in time to escape Iring carried down with the building. The water came rushing down the creek at it- full hight for half an hour and then bayan to rapidly to lower. The losses in the city were :-
Boswell & Hanson $25,000
Bridges .. 5 000
Monumental Hotel, S. W. Grush. 5,000
Gold Tummel Quartz Mill. . 3,000
Wait & Co.'s blacksmith shop. 1,800
J. S. Kly, feed store ... 1,500
Whitmarsh's wagon shop 1,000
Niman & MeElroy, house 1,000
D. Belden, honse. 700
$44,000
The damage to thunes, mining claims, cabins, etc. male the total losses amount to what the sum of $100,000. Several suits for dringes were instituted, but as Enirl & Co. were held not liable and Moore & Voss were irresponsible parties, nothing was ever recovered. The Monumental Hotel was repaired and opened on the first of May.
Another disastrous fire occurred May 23, 1858, laying in ashes the whole business portion of the city. In less than a mouth, however, sixty-livo new frame buildings were orveted und the construction of Inlf a dozen brick ones entered upon. In June, 18ã9, the discovery uf the Comstock lead was annonneed und crowds begun to rush to the Washoe region. By this hogirn Nevid City suffered a serious depopulation, which listed for two or three years. The killing of Henry Meredith and the Washoe war have been related in the chapter on general history of Nevada county. The depression in quartz mining in this vicinity in 1863 and 1864 was very great, mines ceased working, miners sought more active lucalities, nud business was so dull that the merchants became quite skillful iu pitching quuits, One saloon keeper went to the extent of advertising his wants und desires as follows ;- " One hundred thousand square drinkers wanted at Blaze's, corner of Pine and Commercial. No drunkards tolerated ou the place."
In March, 1863, Nevada City was surveyed und mapped by Ostram & Coswell.
On the morning of November 8, 1863, the city was again laid in ruins hy tlames, but it quickly reenperated. Companies wero formed who immediately built the Union Hotel and National Exchango Hotel, new business houses were erveted and a new court house, and business soon after reviving, Nevada City recovered from this last blow also.
April 19, 1865, in honor of the martyred President. Abraham Lincoln, thero was a grand funeral procession of the military companies and civil societies of the county and citizens. Addresses were delivered by Rev. D. A. Dryden and Hon
David Belden. All business was suspended and guns were fireal every half hour.
On the night of Sunday, July 25, 1867, the Indian Ranche- ria, about two miles from the city, was destroyed by fire. It consisted of about forty or fifty miserably file huts and two or three worden chantiers. This place had tren occupied by them ever since the settlement of the county by the whites. The Indians were all abrent on a por-vor at Brown's Valley. and were surprised upon their return to find their homes destroyed by a tire they had probably left burning when they went away.
On Friday, July 26, 1866, a meeting of citizens was called for the purpose of taking steps to secure a United States patent to the land on which the city was situated, This resulted in the issuance of a patent in 1869, for the south half of the northeast quarter and the southeast quarter of section 12, the north half of the northeast quarter of section 13, town- ship 16, north, range S, east, the lot numbered 2 and the south- cast quarter of the northwest quarter and the lots munbered 3 and + and the east half of the southwest quarter of section 7. and the lot numbered 1 and the northeast quarter of the north- west quarter of section 18, township 16, north, range 9, cast; containing in nll 644 68-100 acres.
Upou October 11, 1870, the ill-feeling existing between two fnetions of Chinese euhninated in a general battle between them. Over one hundred wrathful Celestials, armed with knives, pikes, bars of iron and clubs, mingled their Mongolian impreeations in one general babel of yells and rushed upon ench other. Extermination was in their eyes and " hi-yahs" on their lips. The Sheriff' instantly organized a posse and quelled the riot, arresting some twenty-five of the Chinamen. No one was killed, but several of the combatants received severe wounds during the affray.
In 1872 Nevada City had a revival of mining activity that has continued ever since, and bids fair at the present time to increase in a greater proportion than before.
The twentieth day of May, 1876, witnessed the driving of the last spike in the Navada County Narrow Guage Railroad, a full account of which is given in the chapter on Transporta- tion.
August 24, 1878, the Trustees bought the property on Broad street now occupied by the City Hall, and remodeled the building for the purpose it is now put to.
One of the most eurious instances of juvenile depravity and criminal cunning occurred here recently, worthy of being more fully recorded than this work admits of. For a long time prior to April, 1879, many persons in the city, both male and female, were annoyed by receiving anonymons communications of an obscene character. These were so skillfully delivered that the bearer coukl not be seen, were shovel under doors, dropped on
sidewalks, scattered on the floor during dancing parties, und circulated at public entertainments. Etforts were made to lind the pwrpetrators. but for months they runnined undetected. The paper, ink and other materials used were unlike any other to l' found, and the handwriting was always the same. The composition showed the author to be possessed of sufficient. alueation to write grammatically. At Hunt's Hall Chese mis- sives would tly about the room, and the sharpest ered detectives failed to see from whence they came. Finally it was surmised that they were thrown through the ventilation registers, mint an officer secreted himself in the basement during one of these affairs, and while there, a man entered and stopped up to the register. The officer seized him and after a severe struggle succeeded in overpowering him. Upon being brought to n light. he proved to be a young man named E. 11. Moore. Search was now mado for his confederates, as it was evident that. Moore was not alde to write the letters in question. Two other young men were arrested on suspicion, but discharged for heck of evidence, Moore was sentenced to one hundred days in the county jail.
By Act of March 12, 1878, Nevada City was again incar- porated with the limits of the previously mentioned U. S. patent. The city government consists of live Trustees, two elected on the odd years and three on even years, Assessor, Marshal and Treasurer. The Board chooses its President nud Clerk from among their number. The election is helt the first, Monday in May.
FIRES AND FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Nevada's baptisins of fire have been often and severe. Your times has she been nearly blotted from existence, the whole business portion being laid in ruins, and yet from the smoulder- ing ashes, Phoenix like, she has arisen, a better and more sub- stantial city. After every disaster she has sprung to her l'eet with renewed vigor and fresh courage, exhibiting an energy and perseverance that knows not defeat.
While in the pride of her youth, with tho soft flush of vir- ginity still upon her brow, she received the first visitation of the Fire King. At two o'clock ou the morning of Wednesday, March 11, 1851, a fire originated in a saloon ou Main street near Commercial, and so combustible were the closely packed shake and board shanties and canvas structures, that all thought of arresting the flames seemed futile. Here and there were quantities of powder stored, and these exploded, sending flau- ing brands flying into the air aud spreading the flames far and wide. Standing in the city, were many tall pitch pine trees, about whose spreading branches the flames writhed and twisted, and along whose towering trunks their red tongues shot far up into the blackness of the night. With uo facilities for com- bating them, the citizens seemed almost helpless in their path.
84
HISTORY OF NEVADA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
Going a distance beyond the limits of the fire, the people quickly tore down buildings and with buckets of water and wet blankets combated successfully the passage of the flames across the narrow lane thus made. All of Main street to Deer crock was burned and the lower part of Broad street, the ebicf business part of the town; the loss, chiefly in stocks of goods approximated 8500,000. One hundred and twenty-five build- ings were burned, but they were nearly all of a very chicap class and of a primitive order of architecture. Had this fire been accidental the citizens would have accepted their loss with the resignation and lmoyancy of feeling peculiar to them, but it was the work of the incendiary's torch. Great was the excitement and high did their indignation run. A committee of inquiry was appointed, and by them three men were denounced as the criminals. Had they not taken counsel of their fears and disappeared into the alinost unknown world without, they would have been snmmarily hanged by the justly incensed populace.
At three o'clock ou thic morning of September 7, 1852 an alarını of fire was raised at the National Hotel, at the foot of Broad and Main streets, It was an accidental fire, originating in the kitchen of the hotel. The flames spread with great rapidity, and seized upon Adam's & Co.'s building on one side of Deer ereck and the old Deer Creek Hotel upon the other. In a few moments the flames had destroyed the house occupied by Mr. Bowers and three other buildings on the same side and the store of Mr. Lawson and the National Stables, at the foot of Main street. Twelve buildings were soon laid low, and nothing but the most determined efforts and the fact that the old buildings at the foot of the streets had been washed away, saved the balance of the town, The loss was about $25,000. The sweepings and ashes from the ruins of Adam's & Co.'s building were washed out in a tom and yielded $300 worth of lust.
In 1852 the first attempt was made to supply the city with water. John Williams laid pipes from Gold Run to Broad streets. 'On Main street werc a well and pump. Williams extended his water pipes along upper Main street to the top of the hill. In 1853 most of the houses in town were supplied with water through 9,000 feet of pipe.
Wednesday, November 28, 1854, a fire ravaged Main street, originating in a boarding house just above the junction of Commercial street. Great exertions coupled with a liberal supply of water in consequence of the pipes subdued the flames after nine buildlings, valued at $6,000, were burned.
The next fire started in the kitchen of the Virginia House, on the West side of Broad street, February 20, 1855. Every house between the two M. E. churches, sixteen in all, was burned. The flames were arrested by the pulling down of a house and the formation of a bucket line. It was a narrow
escape from a conflagration. The loss was about $+0,000,. . including the Virginia House, Hotel de France, Dr. Hillersheit's Hospital and Dr. Holdridge's Hospital.
It was not until July 19, 1856 that the people of the now busy and prosperous city learned what dreadful power lies in the combined force of wind and flame. About four o'clock on the afternoon of that memorable day, a fire was accidentally started in Hughes' blacksmith shop on Pine street; it rapidly spread, igniting a brewery that adjoined the shop, and then leaped across the street to the United States Hotel and the livery stable of Kidd & Knox. From here, impelled by a strong west wind, it made rapid headway, lapping up the frail build- ings with its scorching tongue, and twining its long, red arms of flaine about the brick structures, until, clasped in their warm embrace, they fell crumbling to the earth. Great was the excitement and consternation of the citizens; mnen rushed to their stores or homes, hoping to save a little from the rapacious clutch of the devourer; mothers, wild with terror, hastened with their little ones to places of safety, nor gave one thought to the roaring flames, save to snatch their babes from their relentless grasp. All attempts to stay the onward sweep of the flames, or to wrest from their consuming breath anything of value, were futile, and the brave and desperate who attempted it were compelled to abandon their hopeless task and seek safety in flight. In one short half hour the town lay a heap of smouldering ruins; nearly all the dwelling houses, all the wooden business structures and all but six of the twenty- eight supposed fire-proof brick buildings were consumed. It was estimated that the total loss approximated $1,500,000. statement which was by no means complete was made a short time after the fire, giving a list of two hundred and fifty different losses, aggregating the enormous total of $1,050,700. A portion of the list is here given, not only to show the extent of individual losses, but also to give an idea of the composition of the city and to show who were the leading business men of the town :-
Abbott & Edwards $42,000
P. Hendrickson, brick store and goods. 40,000
Rogers, Hamilton & Co. 40,000
S. Rosenthal & Bro., building and goods 40,000
L. P. Frisbie, theater, etc. 25,000
A. Block & Co., clothing store. 25,000
Edward Kelsey, brick buildings 25,000
Nevada County Court House. 20,000
Rosenheim & Bro., jewelry and clothing. 20,000
Four churches.
20,000
T. H. Caswell.
20,000
J. M. Flurshutz, brick building, etc .. 18,000
C. Josephson, clothing . 18,000
J. S. Wall & Bro .. 17,000
W. J. Knox, buildings and contents. 16,000
Sandford & Son, building and goods. 15,000
Hirshman & Bro., cigar store. 15,000
Z. P. Davis, brick building. 15,000
G. W. Kceney . 15,000
13,000
Yates & Tallman, hardware ..
A. B. Gregory, goods and building . 12,000
D. Lachman & Bro. 12,000
G. W. Kidd, buildings 12,000
George A. Young. 10,000
J. Ramos, buildings. 10,000
L. Samuels, building and cigars 10,000
B. F. Collier, building and contents. 10,000
G. O. Killbourne, buildings. 10,000
C. W. Young, building and jewelry 10,000
A. Johns, brick building. 10,000
Wm. Orr, buildings. 10,000
United States Hotel, Metropolis Hotel, New York Hotel, Hotel de Paris, N. P. Brown & Co. Nevada Journal, I. J. Rolfe & Co. Nevada Democrat, Union Hotel, Virginia House, Keystone House, John Anderson, A. A. Sargent, California Stage Co., Oriental Hotel. Baker & Palmer's Sash Factory, H. C. Gardiner, Wells, Fargo & Co., Twecd & Fletcher, Steifert & Cohen, Lewis Rosenbaum, Sol. Kohlman & Bro., K. Rice, S. Connell, Burns & Healey, Northouse & Singer, Boswell & Han- son, J. Julien, H. Shirpser, J. C. & B. F. Dickerman, J. F. Rudolph, Dreifuss & Leppert, Cook & Coburn and some two hundred others, all of the losses not given being under $10,000.
The burned district extended from the top of the hill on Broad street to the creck and from Spring street, including the Baptist church to Caswell's lot on Main street, including the court house, embracing a smouldering area of 160 acres.
More than the destruction of their property, more than the sudden plunge from prosperity to ruin, the city mourned the loss 'of the brave spirits who became victims of their own heroic efforts to battle with the destroyer. Ten were known to have perished in the flames, and it was feared that still others met the same terrible fate. The Nevada Democrat says :- " Mr. William B. Pearson, one of our partners, together with A. J. Hagan, S. W. Fletcher and J. Johnson, all young men of unblemished character and integrity perished in the late conflagration. For two years they had had their offices and places of business under the same roof as ourselves, and in the vain attempt to save the building from the devonring element, they lost their lives. They had no intention of remaining in the building, but before they were aware of their danger, the wooden buildings around them had taken fire, and the brick walls in which they were enclosed proved but a feeble barrier
5
PUBLISHED BY THOMPSON & WEST.
RESIDENCE OF DAVID WATT, GRASS VALLEY, NEVADA Cº, CAL.
85
HISTORY OF NEVADA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
to the intense heat from without. What their feelings must have been, when they found the roof alove thema on tire and the certainty of a horrible heath staring them in the face, can better be imagined than described."
These gentlemen entered the leibling, which stored on Broad street, was owned by Kid & Knox and was the first brick billing created in the city, to close the iron shutters. With thei was T. E. Bruns, who with Mr. Fb.teher went up to the second floor to close the shutters there. The fire by this time was burning licreely on both sides of the building, and Mr. Beans, who foured that retrent was ent off' below, calling upon Fletcher to follow him, made a hazardous leap from the window upon a shed, and oseuped. Mr. Fletcher ritter feared tu take the leap or thought the building woubl withstail the flames, and closed the shutters. The friends of the imprisoned young men made strenuous efforts to save the building and rescue them, but all hope was ended by the explosion of a number of kegs of powder, that sent the building toppling in ruins to the ground. Several days after the bodies of the unfortunate victims were found in the cellur, buried under the ruins, whither they had probably retreated upon finding all hope of esenpe ent off from above.
A louding merchant, l'eter Hendrickson, was burned in his brick store an Brond street, where it is thought he had inten- tionally remained, considering it tire-proof. John Yates, n member of the firm of Yates & TuHman, was burued in a brick building ou Commercial street. Mr. Thomas, n saloon-kreper, and William Wilson, a plasterer, died the following day from the effects of burns. The remains of two nuknown men were found amid the ruins, une on Broad and one on Commercial street. William F. Anderson, editor of the Democrat, and Geo. A. Young were severely burned while escaping from a brick buikling un Broad street, but finally recovered.
A relief committee was immediately organized by the citizens to relieve the necessities and ameliorate the sufferings of the hundreds so suddenly deprived of both house and clothing. Those who had been so fortunate as to live beyond the reach of the flames generously threw open their houses for the reception of the houseless, while many in the city and sympathizing friends from without contributed to a relief fund, which the committee wisely und judiciously expended.
Spurred on to some protective measures by the great calamity so recently experienced by the city, the business men formed an organization, in August, 1836, for the protection of the city from tire. A detail of six persons was made vach night to patrol the city and guard against fire. J. C. Malbon (King of Pungo) was appointed captain of this watch and devoted his entire attention to it. A committee of superintendence was appointed, of which Isaac Williamson was chairman. Those who joined the association were required to take their turn on
watch oner a inonth or to pay one dollar a month for the salary of the captain and other expenses. As freshon from tires instilled into the mainh of the citizens a false one of security. this excellent organization was allowed to die out from apathy.
From this state of lethargy the people were again viddently aroused by the dread alarm of fire. On Sunday, May 23, 1555, a tire originatel in a Chinese wash house on Broad street near Commercial, and although the alarm was immediately given and strennons efforts mad: to suleine the thames, they spread to other buildings There being no fire department and no facilities whatever for fighting the flames, the tire gradually spread until nearly ull the wooden buildings on Commercial, Main and Broad streets as far as the bridges were burned. All the fire proof brick buildings stood the test and preserved their contents. The progres of the fire was so slow that great quantities of property were conveyed to places of safety. Some of the build- ings burned had good cellars in which merchandise was stored and suved. The progress of the thames up Broad street was arrested by tearing down the building on the corner of Broad and Commercial strets. By the use of wet blankets and buckets of water the Methodist church, Union Hotel and some other wooden buiblings in the path of the flames were saved. The rourt house was also preserved by the same means. But few residences were burned and there was consequently much less suffering than after the previous lire. Some of the heavy losses were :-
Mrs. C. A. Frisbie, theater, American Ex-
change and other buiklings $ 15,000
A. Man, Golden Gate Hotel. 7,000)
J. C. Abbott, buildings, etc .. 6,000
Mrs. Isabella Waters, building and jewelry .. 6,000
E. Weiss, buildings, etc. 6,000
E'. Kelsey, buildings 5,000
L. Sweeney, house.
5,000
G. Lippert, N. Y. Hotel.
4,000)
L. Rebori, two houses and goods.
M. Chanval, Hotel de France. 4,000
4,000
J. B. Lobell, livery stable and dwelling.
4,000
Thomas Marsh, five houses
4,000
J. C. Birdseye, two buildings.
4,000
William H. Orr, three houses and stock. 4,000
Frank Shellhorn, brewery. 4,000
S. Oates, Monumental Hotel 4,000
Gas Works. 3,000
Ozias Walker, Virginia House 3,000
Palmer & Perry, sash factory 1,000
S. P. Stiles, Yankee Blade Hotel 1,500
Other losses. 112,575
Total $207,075
After this leson the people aroused themselves and did con- siderable able-laklied talking about a tire department. They even went so far as to informally organize a company. The ladies of Nevada gave a ball at the court house a year later. December 26, 1559, during a temporary revival of interest in this subject, the proceeds of which were to be devoted to the protection of the city from fire. The fund acemuluted by the ladies was :-
Receipts of Ball. .$1,179.00
Expenses. 255,50
8 023.50
Proceeds of a theatrical benelit. 149.00
Total. .. $1,072.50
Notwithstanding this sum of money luy idle, nu fire com- pany was formed.
Early in 1860 the Nevada Water Compmuy brought water into the city, laying a pipe to the corner of Brond and Pine streets. On May 20, 1860, a fire broke out that would have proved a serions one had it nut been for the water just brought. in. A piece of leaky hose was procured, and with this nud wet blankets the fire wns prevented frum spreading. The Key- stone Hotel and three other buildings near the corner of Broad and Commercial streets, valued nt $13,300, were burned. Another fire a few days Inter was extinguished by sending to Grass Valley for the hose company there. As yet the city hud provided not even a piece of hose for fire purposes,
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